Top Streaming Media Players

#1 Google Chromecast

With Google Chrome Cast you can stream your media from your smart phone, tablet or laptop directly to your TV.

The installation of the Chrome Cast is simple and fast:

Plug Chrome Cast into an HDMI port on your TV.

Connect to your Wi-Fi network.

Stream from your smart phone, tablet or laptop to your TV.

Always connect the Chrome Cast your laptop, tablet and smart phone with the same wireless network. The Chrome Cast receives power through USB port on your TV or via a separate power adapter. Did you set the Chrome Cast? Find what you want to watch, press the Cast icon and adjust the volume with your smart phone, tablet or laptop.

You can stream YouTube videos and movies from Netflix directly to your TV. Chrome Cast works with Android tablets and smart phones, iPhones and iPads and along with Google Chrome for Windows and Mac and Chromebooks. You can use the following apps in conjunction with the Chrome Cast:

Netflix

YouTube

Google Chrome

Google Play

Pros

Stream media from your smart phone, tablet or laptop to your TV.

Suitable for application such as YouTube, Netflix and Google Chrome.

Turn your tablet and smart phone into a remote.

Very simple and quick installation.

Works with Android, iOS and Windows.

Cons

Does not support WiFi in the 5 GHz frequency.

The Chrome Cast is a compact media player developed by Google. The easiest way to stream music, movies and web pages from your smart phone, tablet or laptop to your TV.

Click thumbnail to view full-size

Google Chromecast HDMI

Chrome Cast features:

Stream media to your TV

Support for Netflix

Suitable for Android, iOS and Windows

Easy installation

Several app available

Warranty:

2 year carry-in warranty.

#2 Apple TV (3rd Generation)

The highly compact third-generation Apple TV is an endless supply of movies, series and music possible. The Apple TV uses an advanced Apple A5 chip. The Apple TV is not intended as a media player, it is actually a multimedia direct link between your TV, your iTunes library and the Internet. With the Apple TV, you can stream your movies and other content from iTunes, including 1080p Full HD to your TV. Can be wired or wireless, since the Apple TV has on board integrated WiFi receiver. In addition, the Apple TV supports AirPlay .

View the contents of your iPad to TV with Apple TV: Another interesting feature is iCloud. iCloud stores your music, photos, documents, and more and wirelessly stream your content to all your Apple devices automatically, effortless and seamless.

Remote on your iPhone: You get a simple Apple remote to your Apple TV, but there is also a special iRemote app available. This application allows control from your iPhone or iPad.

Pros

Support for Netflix.

Uses an Apple A5 chip, a faster processor than its predecessor had.

Plays up to 1080p Full HD multimedia, unlike the 720p HD Ready by his predecessor.

You can rent or buy movies and tv shows easily via iTunes directly from the bank, and you play them on the Apple TV.

Via AirPlay you mirror content from your iPad to your Apple TV. Your TV is a kind of external display of your iPad.

Control your Apple TV with the supplied remote control or using the convenient free application for iPhone and iPad.

Support for iCloud. Download purchased movies again at no cost through your own iCloud.

Cons

You should have an iTunes Store Account.

No place for an internal hard drive.

No possibility to connect an external hard disk or other external storage. The micro USB port is for service and support.

There are no audio and video cables included.

Fast Ethernet port (10/100), no Gigabit Ethernet as with most other media players.

Apple TV 3 features:

Support for Netflix

1080p Full HD support

Stream movies on iTunes

Buy or rent movies from iTunes

Listen to Internet radio

Watch YouTube, Flickr and more

Warranty:

2 year carry-in warranty.

#3 WD TV Live

WD TV Live Media Player Wi-fi 1080p

WD TV Live

The WD TV Live media streamer is compact and comes with a Sigma Designs SMP8670AD chip with a clock speed of 700 MHz. The WD TV Live also has 512 MB of DDR2 RAM. This media player plays without problems all popular audio and video formats. In addition, the WD TV Live also handle Blu-ray and AVCHD folder structure (BDMV). Because the player is so small, there is no place for a built-in hard disk. But it can play movies from an external hard drive or USB stick, or over the network. The latter can be either wired (Ethernet) or wireless.

Pros

Support for Netflix.

Online content including YouTube, Spotify and Shoutcast Radio available.

WD TV Live features:

#4 Mede8er MED600X3D 3D Media Player with wifi

Mede8er MED600X3D

The Mede8er MED600X3D is a small 3D media player from Mede8er. In addition to 3D and 3D BDISO the MED600X3D plays all common file formats without any problems. The Mede8er MED600X3D uses a Realtek RTD1186 processor, which you find in many other 3D players. Because the Mede8er MED600X3D is so compact, there is no room for an internal hard drive. But it can play movies through the computer network (eg NAS) from a USB stick or an external hard drive. The Mede8er MED600X3D has a user-friendly menu with lots of options. The interface looks a lot like XBMC. Besides, you have YouTube, a web browser, a built movie scraper and other online content such as social media and internet radio via Shoutcast.

#5 Dune HD Base 3D

The Dune HD Base 3D is a 3D media player that make use of the powerful Sigma Designs 8672 chipset for all of your downloaded movies and series smooth and sharp on your television show. Thanks to this chip and the HDMI 1.4 connection, the Dune HD Base plays all your 3D movies in Full HD. In addition to HD picture, Dune HD Base 3D delivers high-quality sound, with 24 bit / 192 kHz.

Playing movies

Movie playback on Dune HD Base 3D is possible in many ways. You can install a 3.5-inch hard disk drive in the HD Base 3D, then you can put up with movies and series including those over the network or via USB. Or you can stream movies directly over the network, wired (via the gigabit network connection) or wirelessly via WiFi . Dune has instant wifi module built into the Dune HD Base 3D, so you can start immediately. Movies to be played from a USB stick or external hard drive is also possible.

Pros

Supports Full HD 3D, including 3D MKV and Blu-Ray 3D.

WiFi is built in, so you can stream films wirelessly.

Provision to mount internal 3.5 inch hard drive is available.

Cons

Internal hard drive is not included.

Base 3D features:

3D media player with room for an internal hard drive

Full 3D support over HDMI 1.4

Playing alongside 2D and 3D: MKV and Blu-Ray 3D

Built-in WiFi module for wireless streaming

Warranty:

2 year carry-in warranty.

Dune HD Base3D Media Player

#6 Dune HD TV-303D: compact 3D media player

The Dune HD TV-303D is a small 3D media player that uses the powerful Sigma Designs 8672 chipset. The Dune HD TV-303D plays all your (3D) movies in Full HD with HDMI 1.4 connection. Moreover, you have provision to mount. 2.5-inch hard drive in this little player.